Five Things to do for the Holy Souls

November is dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory (the Church Suffering) and is a perfect time to learn more about Purgatory and help those who are there.

1) Learn about Purgatory.

Purgatory is one of those “hot points” that Protestants and Catholics disagree about. A lot. Martin Luther dropped the Book of Maccabees from the Protestant Bible primarily because it supported the doctrine of Purgatory. Why is Purgatory so controversial?

Here are several books that can help you understand more about this doctrine of mercy.

In 1949, this English translation of Fr. Martin Jugie’s acclaimed book — which had gone through seven editions in France — was greeted as a much-needed corrective to popular fallacies about Purgatory, many of which continue to cloud the faith of good Catholics. Chief among those fallacies, writes Fr. Jugie, is that Purgatory is kind of “temporary” Hell, its pains differing only in duration. From this follows many other errors that can lead us seriously astray in our conduct and in our prayer lives.

Is Purgatory real? Could the Afterlife require suffering? Can the living help alleviate the anguish of the dead? This innovative, groundbreaking documentary investigates these compelling life-after-death questions through spiritual, scientific, and cultural perspectives.

From the award-winning producer of Ocean of Mercy, Purgatory, the Forgotten Churchfilm uncovers new research offering fresh insights unavailable just a generation ago. Top scholars scientists, historians, and church leaders revisit age-old questions and embark on a spiritual quest to unlock the controversy and consolation of Purgatory.

Here is the sensible view of Purgatory, tainted by neither childish superstition nor modern skepticism.

From these holy pages by St. Catherine of Genoa, you’ll learn:

Why it’s sensible to believe in the existence of Purgatory

Why Purgatory is both a sorrowful and a joyful place for a soul to be

How the purifying fires of Purgatory reflect God’s love

How St. Catherine’s vision of Purgatory can help you face the sorrows in your life with greater faith and courage

2) Attend Mass on All Souls Day

Did you know that priests are only allowed to say two Masses a day? Did you know that on All Souls Day a priest has special permission to offer three Requiem Masses? Did you know that you receive grace for attending Mass? Did you know that you can offer that grace for others? When you add it all up, you have an amazing opportunity on All Souls Day to offer the graces you receive at Mass for those in Purgatory, and you can do it three times!

3) Do some cooking

This doesn't specifically help the Holy Souls but it does mark the season and hopefully puts you in mind to do something spiritually beneficial once you've energized your body.

From the English Catholics we get begging from door to door, the earlier and more pure form of “trick-or-treating.” Children would go about begging their neighbors for a “Soul Cake,” for which they would say a prayer for those neighbors' dead. Instead of knocking on a door and saying “Trick-or-treat” (or the ugly “Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat”), children would say either:

A Soul Cake, a Soul Cake,
have mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake!

or

Soul, soul, an apple or two,
If you haven't an apple, a pear will do,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all.

While Soul Cakes were originally a type of shortbread, it is said that a clever medieval cook wanted to make Soul Cakes designed to remind people of eternity, so she cut a hole in the middle of round cakes before frying them, thereby inventing donuts! Fresh plain cake donuts would be a nice food to eat on this day.

Cream shortening and sugar. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water to which a teaspoon of sugar has been added. Set aside. Scald milk and add to the creamed mixture. When cooled add yeast mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Sift together flour, salt, and spices, and add gradually to other ingredients, kneading into a soft dough. Set sponge to rise in warm place in greased covered bowl. When doubled in bulk, shape into small round or oval buns. Brush tops with slightly beaten egg white. Bake in moderately hot oven (400° F.) for 15 minutes. Drop temperature to 350 ° F. and bake until delicately browned and thoroughly done.

Here is a recipe for Italian “soul” cookies called Fave dei Morti, “Beans of the Dead.” The theme of beans suggests, among other things, the idea of burial in the ground and rebirth. Sometimes “soul” cookies are called Ossi dei Morti – “Bones of the Dead” – and are made in the shape of bones. In fact, the central ingredient in all the forms of this cookie us ground or crushed nuts, which are understood to suggest bones. (This theme is also common in bakery items for this day in other countries, such as Mexico.) These perhaps morbid considerations notwithstanding, Fave (and Ossi) dei Morti are delicious.

Place the almonds on a baking sheet and dry them out for 10 minutes or so in a slow oven: 200 F. Reset the oven to 350 F.

Grind the almonds very fine. Place them in a large bowl. Add the sugar, and blend the mixture well with a fork. Add the flour, and the cinnamon, then the butter, then finally the egg,the vanilla and grated lemon rind, mixing well with each addition. With a fork or floured hand, work the mixture to a smooth paste.

Break off large-bean-sized pieces of paste (about 1 inch long), and place them about 2 inches apart on a greased, floured baking sheet. Squash each piece slightly to produce an oval shape like a lima or fava bean.

4) Visit a Cemetery

During November you can earn a plenary indulgence for souls in Purgatory from November 1st through November 8th. Here are the conditions:

Receive communion on the day you visit the cemetery and go to confession at least once during this period.

Pray an Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of the pope.

A popular prayer to pray at a cemetery would be:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

All Souls by Bouguereu

5) Remember the dead in your family

Make a list of all of your deceased family members and keep it wherever you say your daily prayers. Put pictures of your deceased family members somewhere where you will be reminded to pray for them regularly.

Here are some books that contain prayers specifically for those in Purgatory.

The months following the death of a loved one are an especially difficult time. Thirty-Day Devotions for the Holy Souls offers comfort to those who are grieving and gives them a personal and powerful method of praying for their departed family member or friend.

Day by day, here are:

Prayers and meditations that console the one who mourns and assist the one who has died

Throughout the ages the devotions, prayers, and practices of the Communion of Saints have been offered up on behalf of souls in purgatory, the “Church Suffering.” The saints' ardent desire to intercede for the holy souls impelled them to pray ceaselessly for their eternal rest.

This inspiring book shows how you can join the saints in this act of divine charity, thereby attaining spiritual gifts for acts done for the souls that cry out to us for relief.

When we pray this Scriptural Rosary for the holy souls in purgatory, we gain powerful intercessors and increase God's glory. It is the greatest work we can do on earth.

Now Susan Tassone has taken the greatest Marian prayer of all – the Rosary – and adapted it to pray for the release of the holy souls in purgatory.

This Rosary not only includes scriptural references to purgatory, but also moving passages that reflect the penitent's love and concern for the dead, as well as supplications to God for His justice, love, and mercy.